11/27/17
Contact
Federal Government Officials
********************************
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newspapers, including New York Times and Washington
Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles
each month. We can also check with our
local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.
1.
This week in Congress. Let's continue to
pressure the Senate on the tax scam with our calls and emails. On Monday at 4pm, the Senate will resume
consideration of the nomination of Dabney Langhorne Friedrich,
of California, to be United States District Judge for the District of
Columbia. In 2006, she was appointed to the U.S. Sentencing
Commission by president George W. Bush and then nominated by Obama to a second
term in 2010. Friedrich appears to have bi-partisan support. We expect her to
be confirmed. In the House this week, sixteen (16) bills are on the Majority Leaders Schedule.
These will be coming up for a vote. Let's review the schedule and contact our
representatives to express opposition or support over any bills that concern
us.
2.
We can’t get used to Trump nominating people who are antithetical
to the unit they are to work for. This
time, it is Thomas Brunell for Deputy Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Brunell’s views on gerrymandering
and redrawing congressional districts
oppose democratic values. His appointment is a threat to election integrity
and risks politicizing a non-partisan issue.
Please appoint a qualified, experienced, and unbiased candidate. Call or email today: 1) Secretary
Ross 202-482-2000 or WLRoss@doc.gov, and 2) Director
DeStefano 202-456-1414 or John.j.destefano@who.eop.gov
(h/t Americans of Conscience Action Checklist)
3.
Net neutrality seems confusing, but we are learning
more how ending it will negatively affect our everyday lives. The Internet, rather than being seen more as
a “utility” for everyone equally, will become a pay-to-play operation. https://www.wired.com/story/heres-how-the-end-of-net-neutrality-will-change-the-internet/
The five FCC commissioners will cast the
deciding vote December 14 on this essential issue. The two women on the FCC have come out as No
votes. We need only to convince ONE of the other members to flip to a No vote
to save Net Neutrality. Let’s
start: A) Ajit Pai: 202-518-7399 / email:
Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov
/ Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC, B) Michael O'Rielly: 301-657-9092 / email: mike.o'rielly@fcc.gov
Twitter @mikeofcc, and C) Brendan Carr: 202-719-7305 / email: Brendan.Carr@fcc.gov
/ Twitter: @BrendanCarrFCC While we are
at it, let’s thank the two confirmed no voters:
A) Mignon Clyburn - Mignon.Clyburn@fcc.gov, and B) Jessica Rosenworcel - Jessica.Rosenworcel@fcc.gov Let’s read Rosenworcel’s plea that we help
stop it: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-rosenworcel-fcc-net-neutrality-repeal-20171122-story.html
4.
Republicans are expected to push forward a vote on the
GOP tax plan this week
http://wapo.st/2BdR4xX http://bit.ly/2A6QAMY For
those of us who have already called our senators to voice our opposition, let's
focus our energies on constituents in key states who oppose the plan, but who
have not yet contacted their MoC. Indivisible has a call tool we can sign up
for, which will connect us with progressive constituents in Alaska, Arizona,
and West Virginia: https://www.trumptaxscam.org/calls-to-kill-the-tax-scam
5.
Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been undecided
on the tax plan, has come out in support of the repeal of the individual
mandate in the Senate tax bill. http://bit.ly/2A1Xm6z This
comes days after it was announced that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee approved legislation which would allow for drilling in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge; a key legislative priority of senator Murkowski
http://bit.ly/2jtqkGa Let's
contact Senator Murkowski and let her know that we want her to fully oppose the
GOP tax plan: though she may see it as a win in pushing forward her legislative
agenda, the rest of the country will suffer as a result (202)-224-6665
6.
Plans are underway to privatize healthcare for
veterans, a move that could drastically undermine the quality of this care and
its accessibility. So, it’s particularly troubling to learn that these plans
are being developed without the input of veterans’ groups or Congressional
Democrats. https://www.apnews.com/7f2afe3b340e4d6880d4f77f175a2e7f/VA's-quiet-plan-to-widen-private-care-with-TRICARE-stirs-ire
Let’s contact our MoC to protest the privatization of veteran healthcare.
7.
Donald Trump has nominated Big Pharma executive Alex
Azar to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. Azar repeatedly
raised the price of life-saving medicines, and his deep ties to an industry he
would be charged with regulating make him an unacceptable choice. http://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-hhs-nominee-alex-azar-history-with-drug-pricing-at-lilly-2017-11
Let’s contact our senators and let them know we want them to hold Azar to the
high standard they should have held Tom Price to and block his confirmation.
8.
Thanks to Congress’ failure to extend funding for the
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), officials in five different states
are faced with shutting down programs that ensure that children and pregnant
women get health care by the end of December. Well over eight million children
benefit from CHIP, and congressional Republicans are too focused on rushing a
tax cut for billionaires to the floor to protect their coverage. http://www.denverpost.com/2017/11/24/states-colorado-prepare-to-shut-down-chip-childrens-health-insurance/
Let’s contact our members of Congress and ask
them what they are planning on doing right now to secure an immediate restoration
of funding – and let them know that “nothing” is not an answer.
9.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D, MD) had introduced HR 4382, the Free Flow of Information Act, to
protect journalists from being forced to disclose confidential sources: http://www.dbknews.com/2017/11/18/shield-law-journalists-confidential-sources-congress-bill-jamie-raskin-maryland-jim-jordan-ohio
Let’s urge our MoC to support this
legislation.
10. Trump
has increasingly been denying the authenticity of the Access Hollywood tape
which is alarming in a number of ways. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/361804-trump-told-senator-and-adviser-that-access-hollywood-tape-may-not-be Let’s take a moment to let him know that he
is not going to get to deny his history (that he already admitted to) of sexual
predation: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC
20500 or on Twitter @realDonaldTrump
11. One
would almost think the Trump administration wanted the State Department to
fail. The North Korean nuclear crisis is supposedly Trump’s top priority, yet
the administration has yet to nominate an assistant secretary for East Asia or
an ambassador to South Korea. In the midst of the war in Syria and heightened
concern over a possible conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, there is no
confirmed assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, nor are there
ambassadors to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt or Qatar. As Zimbabwe
faces the aftermath of Robert Mugabe’s resignation, the State Department lacks
both a confirmed assistant secretary for African affairs and an ambassador to
South Africa. The Foreign Service is dwindling, with 50% fewer people
taking its entrance exam this year, according to the Foreign Service
Association. And at a time when diversity in the ranks would seem to
matter, most of the top African-American and Latino diplomats, as well as many
women, have been either fired or sidelined. “These people either do not believe
the U.S. should be a world leader, or they’re utterly incompetent,” according
to Dana Shell Smith, former ambassador to Quatar, “Either way, having so many
vacancies in essential places is a disaster waiting to happen.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/us/politics/state-department-tillerson.html We must demand that our MoCs not let the diplomatic corps be stripped of its power, particularly as we confront a president trying to vastly increase our military budget and sell as many arms as possible abroad, under the guise of “good business.” And let’s tell Rex Tillerson that we disapprove of his “management” of State: 202-647-4000 or U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/us/politics/state-department-tillerson.html We must demand that our MoCs not let the diplomatic corps be stripped of its power, particularly as we confront a president trying to vastly increase our military budget and sell as many arms as possible abroad, under the guise of “good business.” And let’s tell Rex Tillerson that we disapprove of his “management” of State: 202-647-4000 or U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520
12. “Conyers,
88, who has stepped down as the ranking Dem on the House Judiciary Committee
while during the House Ethics Committee, settled a sexual harassment allegation
brought by a former staffer, leaving her on the payroll as a temporary employee
and paying out just under $30,000. But members of Congress have said that the
“due process” system is outdated and biased toward insulating the lawmaker from
suffering penalties for misbehavior. “The whole system needs to have a
comprehensive shift,” Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said on ABC’s “This
Week.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/11/26/lawmakers-call-for-swift-consequences-in-harassment-cases-but-are-divided-over-calls-for-resignation/?utm_term=.02b7177111c8 Democrat or republican, this cannot be
tolerated. Our tax dollars have been paid to silence the victims and protect
the perpetrators, all while we have children starving in American. Let’s call
on our Reps to protect the staffers and put better processes and protections in
place.
13. Rep.
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) has long been one of the leading congressional champions
of immigrants’ rights. He was the first elected official to sponsor a version
of the DREAM Act and is standing tough to ensure we get a clean bill in the
coming months, has proposed a real plan for comprehensive immigration reform,
and has even been repeatedly arrested for civil disobedience in the name of
immigrants (http://thehill.com/latino/346663-rep-gutierrez-arrested-at-white-house-immigration-protest).
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let’s write or call Rep. Gutierrez and thank him
for his tireless efforts on behalf of our immigrant friends and neighbors.
Contact information can be found here: https://gutierrez.house.gov/contact/offices.
(And let’s also contact our own reps and remind them to stand with them and
insist on an end to the political games and a clean DREAM Act!)
14. Senator
Chris Murphy (D-CT) responded to the murder of children at Sandy Hook in the
way more lawmakers should: by becoming a champion for real solutions on gun
control. He filibustered until he secured a vote on expanding background checks
and barring people on terrorist watch list from obtaining guns after the
Orlando shooting, and he’s led the push for universal background checks and an
end to the ban on gun violence research at the CDC. http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/353970-chris-murphys-profile-rises-with-gun-tragediesLet’s
give thanks to Senator Murphy for his work during this holiday season. We can
find his office information at this link: https://www.murphy.senate.gov/contact.
And let’s also ask our own members of Congress to support his drive for
expanded background checks and his bipartisan bill to improve the national
background check system.
1.
Today is the last day to register to vote in the Dec. 12
special election for a U.S. Senate seat.
If you or someone you know lives in Alabama and are not registered, do
it today! You can use the mobile app
(Vote for Alabama) to register to vote up until 11:59:59 on Monday, November 27
as long as you have a valid Alabama driver’s license. You can also register and
get more information at: www.alabamavotes.gov If you need an absentee ballot, find info
here: http://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/register-to-vote
2.
The vote for the Alabama senate seat is coming up in
just a couple weeks (Dec. 12), and the race looks to be quite close between Democratic
candidate Doug Jones and Republican candidate Roy Moore http://politi.co/2AdpCnB Let's
read through this walk-through on how to text bank through Hustle http://bit.ly/2Bez1aP Then,
let's sign up to phone or text bank for Doug Jones http://bit.ly/2zEMtsm
3.
Since turnout is vital
to the Alabama special election, Postcards to Voters
needs our help to finish the whole list of Alabama Democratic voters.
Response has been strong but, they still need hundreds of new
volunteers willing to write 5, 10, or even 20 cards apiece to Alabama
Democratic voters, letting them know how important electing Doug
Jones is. PTV, now on its 32nd campaign, has plenty of ideas, help
and encouragement to make this a fun, friendly process. For addresses, we
can text HELLO to (484) ASK-ABBY which is (484)
275-2229. We can also sign up to volunteer
here: https://postcardstovoters.org/volunteer/
If you are still unsure about this project, check this out: https://www.facebook.com/TonyTheDemocrat.org/videos/1760483910919354/
State
Actions
1.
MN: Huge budget
cuts crippled outreach that lets people know when, how and where to sign
up for the ACA, so Indivisible ACA Signup Project is spreading the word through
social media. They have43 days to get 50 more supporters. Help them
reach their goal by January 10 to set off a Thunderclap, a social
media flash mob message blast. Please click, add your social media support
on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. THEN cut, paste and share: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/65114-minnesota-enrollment-alert Find out more about how Thunderclap helps
grassroots organizing here: https://www.socialworkhelper.com/2013/10/02/thunderclap-can-help-grassroots-organizing/amp/
2.
VT: Join the ACLU of Vermont in signing a petition
calling for fair and impartial policing in Vermont: https://twitter.com/ACLU_VT/status/930520830907478017
3.
FL, GA, AL, TN, NC, SC: PUBLIX -Where shopping is
a pleasure unless we are migrants in the supply chain. Publix, Florida's
hometown employee-owned grocer, has for several (7) years stubbornly refused to
join the Fair Food Program
to take responsibility for the conditions in its supply chain and make a
commitment to human rights. The Fair Food Program has been called “the
best workplace-monitoring program” in the US in the New York Times,
and “one of the great human rights success stories of our day” in the Washington Post,
and has won widespread recognition for its unique effectiveness. Publix is the
8th largest privately-owned corporation in the U.S., with supermarkets
across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Now is the
time for Publix to join the Fair Food Program! The Alliance for Fair Food
gives us some ways to take action including letters we can print and deliver to
our local store managers. We can also contact Public 1) via their website contact form
2) write to the corporate offices: President & CEO Todd Jones, Publix Super
Markets, PO Box 407, Lakeland FL 3380-0407 3) call 800-242-1227.
As always, we can make our strongest statements with our wallets by choosing to
shop elsewhere until Publix joins the Fair Food Program.
Other
Actions
1.
From one of our own currently helping in Puerto
Rico: The most needed donations from
individuals are FOOD such as rice, canned beans, canned tuna, canned veggies
and canned fruit. The only food that FEMA sends are snacks, such as Pringles,
granola bars and juice boxes. It is up to the municipalities themselves to team
up with non-profits or individual donors to supplement the snacks with REAL,
substantial food. They know this will not be handed out forever, but it is
still critical for survival at this point in time. To send donations of
food to this particular group of people to pass out on your behalf, mail them
in a box to: Escuela Superior Especializada Vocacional Agricola de Corozal,
Pablo David Burgos Marrero, Barrio Abras Sector Mavilla, Corozal, Puerto Rico,
00783
2.
From the Alt National Park Service: South Dakota is looking into revoking the
Keystone pipeline permit after last week's 210,000+ gallon spill. This is a
relatively new pipeline and has already experienced three major leaks one just
on the border with North Dakota and two in South Dakota in less than a 10 year
period. Please call South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) member Gary
Hanson and let him know you support revoking the Keystone pipeline permit
because the operator violated its license by promising state-of-the-art
pipeline construction. This promise was broken based on the continuous
leaks/spills occurring in a short period of time. Please call and leave a
voicemail at (605) 773-3201. The South
Dakota PUC voicemail is now full. Please email the three commissioners at kristie.fiegen@state.sd.us, gary.hanson@state.sd.us, and chris.nelson@state.sd.us.
3.
Facebook continues to not step up to block
discriminatory housing processes in their rental advertising as this exposé by
ProPublica shows:
https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-advertising-discrimination-housing-race-sex-national-origin Let’s
share this piece on Facebook to make other users aware and let’s contact
Facebook on Twitter @Facebook to register our disgust.
4.
The Southern Poverty Law
Center (SPLC) has launched a new tool called
the SPLC Hate Tracker.
This tool identifies and monitors trending topics among a network of far-right
Twitter accounts in near-real time. Based on more than 1,000 accounts actively
monitored by the SPLC's Intelligence Project, it creates interactive graphics
to better understand the topics and images captivating the radical right. These
accounts represent a range of extremists – from the conspiratorial fringes of
mainstream conservatism to outright white supremacists – who regularly use
Twitter as a tool to spread their propaganda. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these
users also participate in many conversations and topics that are popular among
more "mainstream" communities. The data set goes back to August 15,
2016 and is updated every 30 minutes. Let's take a moment to explore this new
tool and share it with our family and friends.
5.
Warning: free
government grant scam making the rounds:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0113-government-grant-scams
Petitions
1.
Let’s tell policy makers why net neutrality is
important to us: http://act.freepress.net/sign/internet_nn_story/
2.
None of us were woke enough to see this and we let it
happen 13 years ago, but we are woke now.
There is no such thing as a child prostitute, there are child predators.
Cyntoia Brown was a teen victim who was sentenced to life in prison for trying
to save herself. http://www.ajc.com/news/world/here-why-people-are-talking-about-cyntoia-brown-years-after-she-was-sentenced-life-prison-for-murder/EqX2COsOoVQw329pyr3l3H/
Let’s sign this clemency petition and be watchful for other ways we can help
Cyntoia and others like her: https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/free-cyntoia-brown
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms
to attend/organize
1.
Today marks a National Day of Action against the Trump
Tax Scam. Action groups across the country will be making calls and visiting
their senators' offices, hosting sit-ins, to protest the GOP tax plan http://bit.ly/2n5RQuI We
can use this map to see if there is already an action planned nearby http://act.indivisible.org/event/local-actions/search/ or
we can register our event here: http://act.indivisible.org/event/local-actions/create/ We can also find anti-tax events hosted by MoveOn at this link.
2.
Let's join NWLC, NPWF,
the Tax
March, and actress/advocate Alyssa Milano for a
Twitter storm on Monday, November 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT to
highlight why the #GOPTaxPlan is a #BadDealForWomen. We’ll be sharing
information and resources, as well as encouraging women to mobilize against
this terrible tax bill. We need supporters to call their Senators and urge them
to vote no! Make sure you’re
following: @nwlc, @NPWF, @taxmarch, @Alyssa_Milano
Hashtags: #GOPTaxPlan,
#BadDealForWomen We can tweet directly at
@SenJohnMcCain, @SenatorCollins, @JeffFlake, @SenBobCorker, @lisamurkoswki and @RandPaul
We can find more information, tweets, and graphics to use here
Reading/Watching
1.
A Bill Moyers interview: ‘The Trump-Russia Story Is
Coming Together. Here’s How to Make Sense of It” http://billmoyers.com/story/trump-russia-story-coming-together-heres-make-sense/
2.
After Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted
that press lead their pre-Thanksgiving questions with what they are thankful
for, Dana Milbank wrote a great response in The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/thank-you-george-w-bush-and-sally-yates/2017/11/21/c6ca7504-cf00-11e7-a1a3-0d1e45a6de3d_story.html?utm_term=.5a2a4b750a91
3.
Experts in authoritarianism advise us to keep a list of
things subtly changing around us, so we’ll remember. Amy Siskind is
keeping that list for us. Amy writes, "This week Trump’s manufactured
crises returned, as he sought to seize back the narrative and distract from the
increasing instability within the regime, and developments relating to his
inner-circle in the Trump-Russia probes. Trump’s deconstructing of the
executive branch continues, as agencies go unstaffed or are led by regime members
who are revoking regulations and winding down staff. Kleptocracy and insider
dealings continue, although Trump’s tarnished name and brand is hurting him
financially on several fronts. The judicial branch seems to be the only thing
holding the regime in check, though Trump has drastic changes underway there
too." Let's review Amy
Siskind's list week 54.
4.
And, as usual, our weekly dose of Small Victories: http://mailchi.mp/peaceisloud/small-victories-thank-you
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